4 minute read
EDITOR S COLUMN
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.”
– Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
I was all set to write this column about spring—about newness and hope and growth and renewal. But then I happened upon the above quote and changed my mind. Spring, and the new opportunities, the new life, it represents is a wonderful thing, but I recognized our award winners, our contributors, and our readers in the quote and decided to write about them.
For most of us, being completely ourselves is probably the most difficult thing we try to do. It sometimes seems as if family, friends, teachers, bosses, advertisers, career advisors, and even complete strangers want to tell us who and what we should be, how we should present ourselves, and why who we actually are isn’t a “good fit.”
But the people who appear in the pages of our magazine have ignored those people. They are unapologetically themselves. They have followed their own instincts and often, created their own career path. And, they have been willing to change course when it became clear that their current course wasn’t a good fit for them.
Owning who they are and what they think and how they interact with others is an admirable trait that nearly every contributor and every award winner that we at PDJ encounter seems to have been born with or worked to acquire. Again and again, I read contributors’ articles and nominees’ essays that, in one way or another, deliver the author’s authentic self, talk about their successes and failures, their passions and their fears, and share their life experiences—honestly and unvarnished.
That’s what makes them leaders and winners—and what makes their stories important and inspiring.
Just to give spring its due, I want to include this quote from Edith Mary Pargeter, a British writer who, ironically, authored many books under the pen name, Ellis Peters:
Thanks for reading.
Teresa Fausey
Associate Editor
PAGE 16 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Looking inside and out for change in 2021
In this article, the writer discusses the importance of expanding your talent network in order to recruit more diverse talent and taking steps to keep the diverse talent you have by supporting your diverse employees.
PAGE 18 Belong to Something Beautiful
Sephora shares a case study of its “We Belong to Something Beautiful” campaign, which was part of an effort to “make Sephora a place where all people feel they belong.” Read about the strategies company leaders put in place, the steps they took, the results they realized, and where they go from here.
PAGE 20 Exerting the Power You Have. Right Now.
Authors Janet Crenshaw Smith and Gary A. Smith, Jr. discuss the power we all have to say something when you see something, to take care of yourself, to make referrals, and to give and receive valuable feedback—and how using your power can help transform your career and your workplace.
PAGE 22 Exploring Diversity Via Discussion and Introspection
Author Michael Brugeja shares with readers the importance of understanding the human experience of racism. He reaches beyond an “academic” discussion of diversity, inclusion, and equity to explore how individuals experience racism and how biases color what we do.
Although the ADA has made inroads for people with physical disabilities—requiring employers to provide access and accommodation, many people who have what the author refers to as “invisible” disabilities are not offered the same consideration. Her own experience, as a person with a severe stutter, has been that employers often ignore her credentials and instead assume that she is an individual of “low intelligence.”
PAGE 26 13th Annual Diversity Leader Awards
Profiles in Diversity Journal invites you to get to know the extraordinary organizations and individuals who have been named this year’s Diversity Leaders. In their profiles, you will find ideas and strategies you can use to help move your own organization toward your diversity, inclusion, and equity goals. And we know you’ll be inspired by their insights, enthusiasm, and inspiring personal stories.
PAGE 78 Where Are They Now ...
Catch up with a dozen past Women Worth Watching Award recipients and find out what they’ve been up to professionally. Whether they have moved up the career ladder, joined a new team, or struck out on their own, their contributions and achievements continue to impress and inspire.
